Sports

What global tennis icon Serena Williams eats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

By Alan Dawson
Serena Williams
Getty Images
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Before a game, Williams "usually can't" eat and says it may be down to nerves. But if she was going to have a meal, it would be a "protein and carb" combo like turkey sausage and baked potato.

Sausages and potatoes
Shutterstock

Source: Glamour

When Williams is away from the court, she might order a delicious and healthy-looking platter for breakfast including smoothies and fruits.

Wonderful breakfast at one of my favorite spots #villard. Thanks! @newyorkpalace

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on May 1, 2017 at 6:18am PDT

It's not all clean-eating, though. Williams has an obvious sweet tooth and won't hesitate to put away a beignet, which is basically a deep-fried nugget of sugary dough.

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)

When it comes to lunches, or general snacking, Williams never refuses a taco — and they are an ever-present feature of the tennis champion's Instagram.

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)

Williams once said on Facebook: "I want tacos. Everyday I want tacos. I don't know what to do? Is there help for someone that wants to eat tacos everyday?"

Tacos
Shutterstock

Source: Facebook.

If tacos aren't on the menu and Williams wanted to celebrate a tennis success, she has said she would order a cheese pizza and french fries.

Cheese pizza with fries
Shutterstock

Source: Glamour

But sometimes nothing beats home cooking and, for Williams, that means her mother's chicken, rice, and gravy.

Chicken and rice
Shutterstock

Source: Bon Appetit

If Williams is doing the cooking, then she likes to wow her friends and family with a number of dishes. "For years I was always making gumbo for everyone," she told Bon Appétit. "My other go-to dishes are something I call a 'seven-bean delight' which really only has five beans, but don't tell. And roasted chicken with garlic."

Gumbo
Shutterstock

Source: Bon Appetit

Aside from tacos, there is another food Williams is obsessed with — moon pie. "I love moon pies," she told Bon Appétit. "If 'Moon Pie' sponsored me, I'd be bigger than any house on this planet! I love the originals: banana, chocolate, or vanilla. Now I really want a Moon Pie!"

Why oh why am I so in love with you dear Mr. Moon Pie?

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on Apr 1, 2012 at 8:28pm PDT

Source: Bon Appetit

Serena Williams may be retiring from playing pro tennis, but her love for tacos and moon pie will forever live on.

Serena Williams of the United States reacts to a shot by doubles partner Ons Jabeur of Tunisia while playing against Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic and Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain in the first round of doubles on Day 4 of the Rothesay International at Devonshire Park
Serena Williams. Getty/Robert Prange

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Alan Dawson, Business Insider
Alan Dawson
Alan Dawson is Insider's combat sports correspondent. He moved to Las Vegas indefinitely after being shortlisted twice for Sports Journalist of the Year in 2020. He has twice been credited by the Boxing Writer's Association of America, is a Hall of Fame voter, and an MMA Journalists Association member. He joined Insider in 2017 as a reporter, was promoted to senior reporter in 2019, and then again to a correspondent in 2020, after establishing Insider Inc. as one of the best independent publications to follow in the fight sports industries. He is read by millions of people around the world every month. He has investigated the intersection of organized crime and boxing, uncovered possible bribery in sport, and has been ringside for some of the most iconic moments in combat sports including Fury-Wilder 2, Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement, and Davis-Garcia. He has taken assignments in Europe, the Middle East, and across the U.S., and was one of the few credentialed reporters to cover the UFC during the pandemic era of sports when the company held MMA events behind-closed-doors in a bubble environment on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Dawson has been featured on Morning Kombat on Showtime, on BBC and GB News in the UK, and The Sun in Ireland. His work has been cited by CNN, The Telegraph, Forbes, USA Today, IB Times, Boxing Scene, World Boxing News, Sherdog, Bloody Elbow, The Sun, The Mirror, and Metro, as well as national media in Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam. Follow him on Twitter at @alandawsonsport.
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